The Ageing & Development Report: a summary Poverty, Independence & the World’s Older People The Ageing & Development Report: a summary HelpAge International is a global network of not for profit organisations with a mission to work with and for disadvantaged older people worldwide to achieve a lasting improvement in the quality of their lives. Contents 1 What is The Ageing & Development Report? 2 Ageing societies: The global challenge for the new millennium 4 National development policies to support older people 4 Invisible figures: Why is so little known about older people? 6 Ageing in a changing world 7 Surviving disaster: Older people in humanitarian crises 7 Poverty: The enemy of older people’s independence 9 The economic contribution of older people 10 Different needs, different expectations: Gender roles in older age 12 Life-long deprivation and older people’s health needs 13 Supporting capability: Building state, family and community partnerships 16 Promoting the United Nations Principles for Older Persons The Ageing & Development Report: 1 a summary What is The Ageing & Development Report? The Ageing & Development Report is the first extensive survey of the roles and needs of older people in developing countries. The report examines the major social and economic implications of the rapid growth in numbers of older people in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Russia, Eastern and Central Europe. It covers the impact on economies, health systems, housing, working patterns and family relationships. The report draws on HelpAge International’s 20 years experience in over 60 countries, with contributions from world experts in the field. Key themes, such as community involvement, family life, health and wellbeing, poverty and exclusion, gender, migration and economic security are addressed. One goal of the report is to fill the current gap in the information available on older people. Case studies, summaries of national policies on ageing and statistics provide a comprehensive review of the condition of older people in over 45 of the world’s poorest countries. The report argues for a fundamental shift in policy and opinion on ageing to reflect the real economic and social contributions of older people and enable them to retain their independence. It is essential reading for development policy makers, practitioners in government and non-governmental agencies, demographers and gerontologists. The report contains: Part I: An introduction to ageing and development I Development and the rights of older people I Poverty and livelihoods in an ageing world I Gender and ageing I Reinforcing capability: Informal community-based support services for older people in the developing world I Ageing and health I Older people’s strategies in times of social and economic transformation I Economic security in old age: A family-government partnership I Change, family life, coping strategies and seniors I Conflict, humanitarian assistance and older people Part II: The state of the world’s older people I The situation of older people in Latin America and the Caribbean I The situation of older people in rural and urban India I The situation of older people in Cambodia I The situation of older people in Tanzania I The situation of older people in Zimbabwe I The situation of older people in the transitional economies of central and eastern Europe Part III: Ageing and development data Part IV: Reference section For availability see back cover. The Ageing & Development Report: 2 a summary Ageing societies: The global challenge for the new millennium The rapid growth in the numbers of older people worldwide is creating an unprecedented global demographic revolution. During this century, improvements in hygiene and water supply and control of infectious diseases have greatly reduced the risk of premature death. As a consequence, the proportion of the world’s population over 60 years is increasing more rapidly than in any previous era. In 1950 there were about 200 million people over 60 throughout the world. By the year 2000, there will be © Jenny Matthews/HelpAge International about 550 million, and by 2025, the number of over-60s is expected to reach 1.2 billion. You are never too old to learn The increase in the numbers and proportion of older people is predictable. For the first time in history, the majority of those who have survived childhood in all countries can expect to live past 50 years of age. The share of older people in the population of developing countries Source: UN Population Division, 1996 40 ..................................................................................... 35 ..................................................................................... 60 or older 30 ..................................................................................... 65 or older 25 ..................................................................................... 20 ..................................................................................... 15 .....................................................................................Under 15 years 10 ..................................................................................... 80 or older 5 ..................................................................................... Percent 0 ..................................................................................... 1995 2005 2050 2100 2150 Most older people live in the South The myth that older populations do not exist in the developing world because life expectancy is low is contradicted by the statistics. Even in the world’s poorest countries, those who survive the diseases of infancy and childhood have a very good chance of living to be grandparents. This means that the number of older people in developing countries will more than double over the next quarter century, reaching 850 million by 2025 – 12 per cent of their total population. By 2050 the proportion will be 20 per cent. For example, in Latin America and the Caribbean, reduced fertility rates have been matched by lower mortality. As a result, by 2025, the proportion of people aged over 60 will exceed 10 per cent of the population in all Latin American and Caribbean countries. By 2020, Cuba, Argentina, Thailand and Sri Lanka will have a higher proportion of over-65s than the United States. Ageing in poverty The growth in life expectancy offers new opportunities but it also creates challenges for the future. In the developing world populations are now ageing at unprecedented speed while most of their people still live in poverty. The development of medical technology that allows people to live longer has overtaken the achievement of economic prosperity. The Ageing & Development Report: 3 a summary It is appropriate that the United Nations has chosen the closing year of the century as the International Year of Older Persons, to celebrate their contribution to social wellbeing. But eight years after the adoption of the United Nations Principles for Older Persons, too many people still spend their later years in poverty, living on the margins of their society. The growing majority of the world’s older people living in developing countries Source: UN Population Division, 1996 600 .................................................................................. 500 .................................................................................. 400 .................................................................................. 300 .................................................................................. 200 .................................................................................. 100 .................................................................................. Numbers of older people (millions) 0 .................................................................................. Men over 60 Women over 60 Men over 60 Women over 60 in 1995 in 1995 in 2020 in 2020 World Less developed regions More developed regions An invisible population The existence of large populations of older people is undoubtedly becoming a major issue for governments, international organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and communities. But at present, older people still remain a neglected group, largely invisible to those who promote economic development, health care and education. Although the high birth rates previously experienced in many countries are now falling, young people remain the focus of planners’ attention. For the past fifty years, economic growth and increased productivity have been the goal of development policy. Older people, on the other hand, are usually thought of as economically dependent and passive. As a result, they have been treated at best as irrelevant to development, and at worst, as hampering the prospects for prosperity. The Ageing & Development Report: 4 a summary Ageing should be a positive experience Key action points from Being able-bodied has come to be equated with normality, and since older people the report cannot always conform to this ideal, they are viewed in negative terms. But if ageing is The United Nations Principles for to be a positive experience there must be improvements in the quality of life for older Older Persons should be given people. To ignore their needs is both to deny their rights and to waste the fund of skills much greater global prominence. Key action point: adopt the and experience that they represent. UN Principles for Older Persons as a legally binding charter of At present, older people